ICE denies late night New Mexico deportation claim

ARTESIA, N.M. (AP) — Federal immigration officials are denying allegations that immigrants held at a New Mexico detention center were being deported in the middle of the night.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokeswoman Gillian Christensen said Wednesday the women and children housed at the Artesia facility weren’t being pulled from sleep to board removal flights to Central America.

Immigration advocates who were allowed to visit the center said Tuesday that women there complained that children aren’t getting proper medical care and people are being deported at odd hours before they can see a lawyer.

Federal authorities say at least three planes have deported immigrants from the center.

ICE officials say more of the 600 or so women and children at the center are scheduled to return to Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador soon.